


Halam'shivanas

by RunawayDragons



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Spoilers, da3 spoilers, some battle and gore, vaelyn's da/spn au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 22:55:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3151427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RunawayDragons/pseuds/RunawayDragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This starts where Some Fires Never Die ends. </p><p>Inquisitor Nesithra Lavellan is surprised to have another warrior join her party, an elven woman introduced by Varric.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This world state starts with Darkspawn & Pie, continues with Hawke & the Hero (both are unfinished, I am SO sorry), then Some Fires Never Die is the prequel to this installment.  
> Confused? I am! ;)

The Inquisitor and her party ride towards the Frostbacks, Cassandra in the lead on her sturdy bay. Varric, as usual, looks extremely uncomfortable on his own mount. Nesithra has yet to find a dwarf who doesn't mind riding anything other than a cart or a bronto. Solas rides not quite alongside her, paying more attention to the book in his hands than the road. The dracolisk Nes calls Da'falon trots smoothly under her, happy to be heading home. Home, Skyhold, a hot bath, clothing not encrusted with blood, what lovely thoughts.   
"I think we're being followed, Inquisitor."  
Varric's tone is hushed but clear, instantly grabbing Nes' attention. She quickly casts her eyes about, trying to see what the rogue does. She sees refugees with carts and such, a couple merchants on fancy mounts, and up ahead a rider on a horse with a pack animal being ponied along, nothing unusual. Varric sighs and nods his head towards the rider with the pack animal, Nes responds with a questioning eyebrow raise.  
"They've been with us since daybreak, occasionally ahead, sometimes behind, but always within sight, plus something about that rider is just plain familiar. I swear, I've seen them before."  
Nes watches the rider up ahead, then decides caution won't be amiss.  
"Keep tabs on them Varric, we will be stopping at an Inquisition outpost tonight at the base of the mountains, if they're still with us, we will ask questions then."  
The rogue nods and does as he is asked. Now on edge, Nes has a harder time enjoying their ride home.

\---

True to Varric's word, their travelling companion stays within sight all day. When the Inquisition outpost looms up out of the darkness hours later, Nesithra cannot help but feel a little relieved. If something bad is going to happen, it is reassuring to know there is reinforcements available if needed.  
The soldiers greet her and whisk away their mounts to be fed and brushed down. A stew is suspended over a fire, filling the air with delicious scents. Cass helps herself, then hands a bowl to Solas, Nes turns to offer Varric his own bowl when she realizes he isn't anywhere nearby. Uneasy, she scans around her, but still no dwarf. Just when she begins to think of looking for him, he appears at the edge of the camp, and beckons for her. Nes undoes one of the straps holding her staff to her back, just in case. Solas and Cass notice this, eating forgotten for the moment as they watch her carefully stride to where Varric stands.  
He addresses her quietly, doing his best not to draw undue attention to their conversation.  
"I found out who our follower is, and it isn't a bad thing, Inquisitor. It is somebody I know from back in Kirkwall, she wants to join the Inquisition, but didn't want to draw the wrong kind of attention."  
Relief slackens Nes's shoulders, and her hand drops back to hang loosely at her side, the other two companions notice this and resume their meal by the fire.   
"Well then, if this is someone you're willing to vouch for Varric, she is welcome to join us."  
Varric offers Nes a funny half smile,  
"Oh I can vouch for her alright, we have quite a few mutual friends. She is a Gray Warden, though, just so you know."


	2. Chapter 2

Varric's friend joins their party when they ride out a little after dawn. Cass makes her customary noise of disgust when Varric introduces the newcomer as an old friend, Solas is much more polite. Nes studies the woman, intrigued by her. She is short, elven, wears dusty, worn, but well cared for armor and clothing. Her mounts are healthy, her weapons strapped to her back, a sword and a dirk. She has brown hair with streaks of grey thrown in, although she only looks about five or six years older than the Inquisitor. Her grey eyes smile as she talks with Varric, obviously happy to seem him. She never introduces herself, just rides along, as if she had only come to catch up with an old friend.  
They arrive at Skyhold a little before dusk, Nes pulls up and dismounts in the lower yard. She motions towards the stables,  
"Your horses can go over there, and actually, we have another Warden here, he usually hangs out there as well. Maybe you two know each other?"  
The stranger hops to the ground, nimble despite their many hours in the saddle.   
"Thank you. Does this Warden have a name?"  
"Blackwall."  
The stranger looks thoughtful for a moment then shrugs. Nes does her best not to look frustrated. A messenger tells her that the advisors are already waiting in the war room, so she leaves their new guest in Varric's care.

Leliana meets her in the hallway, "I hear you picked up a new Warden recruit, find out anything about her?"  
"Barely anything, just that she knows Varric and some of his other friends. I feel like I should know her though, there is something I just can't quite place."  
Leliana looks intrigued but doesn't push for any more information.  
Their meeting has been underway only about five minutes when the door opens far enough for Varric to poke his a head in.  
"Excuse me, but our newest arrival has some information you might find useful. Thought you might want it right away."  
Josephine beckons to the dwarf, "Oh, of course! Do come in!"  
Varric opens the door wider and slips inside, the dusty elven woman right behind him. She shuts the door behind her and then walks over to the table, where the candle light illuminates her face for all to see. Chaos ensues.  
Nes hears Leliana gasp, "Maker!", then Cullen actually freezes in place, jaw half open. Josephine looks at her fellow advisors in confusion, while Varric laughs. Nes shares Josie's expression.  
" Vaelyn?"   
Cullen's voice comes out a bit choked.  
The Warden just stands there, hands on hips, grey eyes amused. Leliana shakes her head and actually smiles.  
"Very clever. I must say, you had me fooled!"  
"Sorry Leliana, I didn't want anyone looking for me here. So I had to resort to some trickery."  
The spymaster embraces the short elven woman. Josephine looks around the room and lets loose an exasperated sigh.  
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?"  
Cullen, seeming to have regained his voice, answers.  
"This is Vaelyn Surana, Josephine."  
The ambassador doesn't seem to be helped by this. Varric takes pity, and steps closer to the table.  
"Not many people know her by her actual name anymore, mostly just by her titles."  
Vaelyn smiles and offers Josephine and Nesithra a sweeping bow.  
"Apologies, I owe you both an introduction. My name is Vaelyn Surana, Hero of Ferelden, Warden-Comander of the Grey in Ferelden, Arlessa of Amaranthine, Advisor on Matters Arcane to King Alistair, among other things, and currently incognito."  
"Oh!" Josephine's surprise brings another chuckle from the dwarf.   
"I came to offer my expertise and blades to the Inquisition."  
Nes finally understands, and offers a hand in greeting, Lyn takes it and shakes it firmly before returning her gaze to the table.  
"Now then, I would like to show you all something."  
With a smooth pull, she frees both her blades from their sheaths, then carefully places them on the table. The bigger weapon is a longsword, made from dragonbone, the blade covered in ancient dwarven runes that glow ever so slightly. The smaller blade is a large dagger, not exactly the right shape to be a dirk, the whole weapon seeming to be made of a strange obsidian, the handle carved with strange runes.  
"As you know, the premature Calling has cause Clarel to recall all the Wardens. I went against those orders and instead locked down Vigil's Keep. I noticed an interesting thing, that I haven't been affected very much at all by this new Calling, nor have those who Wardens who usually accompany me wherever I go, which led me to try to find out why. These weapons are the most likely explanations."  
She pats the blades gently, causing the runes to glow a little stronger than before.   
"The sword was King Maric's, he found it in the deep roads, I reclaimed it from the darkspawn after Cailen fell. It repels the taint, weakens it, and I still haven't found out exactly how. It also glows in the presence of it, which is why it always glows slightly while in my possession. The dagger was my predecessor's and it too seems to have a strange effect on the taint. I heard you recruited Arcanist Dagna, I am hoping she will help find a way to duplicate their powers."  
Silence reigns for a few minutes as everyone processes how more weapons like these could help defeat Corypheus and the red templars.   
Lyn watches the Inquisitor closely, nagged by the feeling of familiarity she gets every time she sees her face. She has yet to see the woman fight, or cast a spell, but she has no doubt that the Inquisitor can handle herself well. Varric wouldn't be here if she wasn't worth following.   
Discussion resumes, and plans are made, the meeting breaks up well into the night. Leliana shows Vaelyn to a room before saying goodnight, and promising to help her get a message to Alistair in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Nesithra finds Vaelyn near the practice dummies that Cassandra is constantly fighting. Dressed in a loosely fitting aubergine tunic, dark wool breeches, and wrapped feet, she moves through drills, eyes closed half the time. Lyn starts out slowly with each pattern, increasing the speed each time she starts again, blades eventually becoming blurs as they move through the air. Nes leans against the corner of the tavern and watches, enjoying the feel of the morning sun on her back. Once Lyn is done, her cheeks are flushed, and a slight sheen of sweat shows on her forehead. She smiles at Nes, before taking a drink from a canteen, that was resting on her nearby pile of possessions. Once finished Lyn walks over to the Inquisitor, smiling welcomingly.  
"Hope I'm not too disappointing."  
Nes raises her eyebrows and offers her own small smile in return.  
"Disappointing? No. Although, I am surprised to find out you use those weapons so well. Most of what I've heard is how you're a mage with spells that laid the archdemon low in one fell swoop. So, I was at least expecting a staff."  
Lyn laughs, then slides down to the ground, back against the sunny side of the building, next to her small pile of gear. She takes another sip of water before she responds.  
"It is amazing what gets left out for the sake of storytelling. That battle on top of Fort Drakon, with the archdemon, for example? It took ages, felt like days, although Wynne insisted it was only an hour or two."  
She pulls her blades onto her lap and begins her routine of wiping, oiling and polishing, stopping a moment to pat the ground next to her, inviting Nes to join her.   
"As for fighting with a staff? Always hated it, to be honest. Being short didn't help, I was always tripping on the damn things when I was an apprentice. I fight much better with blades. Lot safer for those who fight with me too."  
Nes folds her legs crosswise and picks at the grass, braiding a few strands together. Vaelyn is not what she had expected at all, the stories she had heard are far from the woman who now sits next to her. Lyn chuckles quietly to herself in response to her little joke, Nes waits until she is done to reply.  
"I'm quite good with a bow, and I do know how to use a dagger rather well, but I am quite comfortable with my staff. I have to admit, I thought you would be taller."  
Lyn laughs quite loudly in response to Nes' admission.  
"You have no idea how many times people have said that to me. Somehow people don't expect their heroes to be short."  
Nes grins, glad she hasn't offended Vaelyn. They sit in silence awhile, each alone with their thoughts, Lyn caring for her blades methodically.   
"You know what, Inquisitor? Something has been nagging at me, you look very familiar, are you sure we haven't met before?"   
"Please, call me Nesithra, being addressed by a title gets old quickly, as I'm sure you know. To be honest, there is something about you that has been nagging at me as well."  
"Well, I think I figured out part of it last night. I realized you have the same vallaslin as my Aunt Briwen, she used to tell me stories when I was little."  
Lyn stops talking when she realizes the Inquisitor has gone very still.   
"Was your aunt Dalish?" Nesithra asks quietly.  
Lyn nods, "Yes, as was my mother, Brithari. Why? Do you know Briwen?"  
Nes lets out a little laugh, then looks Vaelyn over.  
"You could say that, my mother's name is Briwen. She had a sister who died right after I was born, called Brithari, who had moved away from the clan to live with the man she loved, a mercenary named Yevlan. I loved to hear the story of how they met, my mother told it to me whenever I asked."  
Lyn's mouth hangs open a moment, as she lets this new information sink in.  
"Well, shit. Yevlan was my father's name. So... We're cousins?"  
"Apparently so."  
They stare at eachother, noticing little things, the cheekbones, the dark hair. Nes notes Lyn's grey eyes, so similar to her own mother's. Lyn wonders why she ended up so short, when height is obviously in their genetic pool. They continue to look for more similarities, than make eye contact again. Lyn smiles, Nes smiles back, then the two of them begin laughing, loud enough to cause those nearby to look up from their tasks.  
The two elven women talk for the next hour, sharing stories, comparing memories, finding more common ground.   
Eventually they are forced to return to their respective duties, as a page arrives looking for Lyn, a message from Dagna clasped in her eager hands. Over the next week they see almost nothing of each other, Vaelyn takes up residence in the undercroft, working day and night with the eager arcanist to find a way to use the magic from her blades for the benefit of the Inquisition and the Wardens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (When I first heard that the elven inquisitor would be dalish I was thrilled. It fit in perfectly with what I had been planning for Vaelyn perfectly. All that plotting and planning finally pays off in this chapter!)


End file.
